This week, I got to check out Canada’s first permanent Nintendo Store, conveniently located in an EB Games near my place, next to Sankofa Square in Toronto. It was surreal to see such a large storefront entirely dedicated to Nintendo here in Canada, and the vibes were magnificent, so I can’t wait for more Northern Nintendo fans to see it in action.
As soon as I walked in, I saw a colorful statue of Mario coming out of a Warp Pipe. It immediately brought to mind the kind of displays I’d see in photos from the famous New York Nintendo store, or in Disney Stores from the ‘90s and 2000s. With how gray and sterile so many stores and restaurants have become in the last decade or so, walking into this area and seeing lots of sharp colors and snazzy, lively displays was almost like coming home, in some strange way.
The striking white and red long associated with Nintendo ran throughout the store, alongside massive screens and displays promoting upcoming or recently released titles. At the moment, the biggest wall display featured the remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, with a glass case at the front of the store showcasing the game’s holographic case. I asked Nintendo of Canada’s Lucy Henderson how these central displays might rotate, and it sounds like they’re planning on keeping the featured displays fresh with each major release.
“I’m really excited to see how this space transforms over time,” she said. “I love that as you walk in, you see the Mario statue – a friendly, familiar face. And as you walk through the experience, you’ll get to play demo units of your favorite games. You can bring your families in, pick out your favorite plushie. There’s always gonna be something to come back and check out and experience with our two brands.”
Merchandise I’d only previously seen on the online version of the Nintendo Store was present too, like the My Mario toyline for younger kids and all sorts of Pokémon plushies beyond just Pikachu and the Kanto starters. Being able to nab less-accessible Nintendo goodies here holds a lot of appeal for me and, I imagine, countless other fans of their franchises. I asked what made this the right time to finally open up a permanent physical Nintendo Store in Canada – and at this EB Games specifically – and EB Games Canada’s Frank Furtado told me:
“We’re proud that this is the first … Nintendo store-within-a-store in North America, and it’s happening here in Toronto,” he stated. “This is our flagship location, so we’ve also just had so many other memorable moments between Nintendo and EB Games here … so it just feels like a natural home for this sort of thing … I think it’s also an exciting time in physical retail. We want to make sure people are experiencing retail coming back to stores and experiencing these things in a different way. Also, Zelda‘s on the way, you know? [Laughs]. A lot of games are coming to the Nintendo Switch 2, so [it’s] a good time.”
Toronto’s new Nintendo Store space even has a plethora of snazzy demo kiosks.
The availability of demo kiosks throughout the store is a fantastic addition, and one that seems to have fallen out of fashion over the years. I’d often base my rare childhood game purchases on which titles were most fun to try on a kiosk, so I hope having a plethora of hot new Nintendo releases available to try gives this next generation the same enjoyment as they wander the shop.
Since I was a kid, places that catered specifically to Nintendo fans always seemed like they only existed in Japan and the United States, so being able to walk into this kind of environment at long last feels long overdue. I’ll definitely be visiting every time I’m in the area (which is quite a bit) to see what’s new, from different Pokémon plushies and LEGO to Switch 2 demo kiosks. If you’re reading this, the store-within-a-store is officially open, so locals can see the new Canadian Nintendo Capitol for themselves.
